Many people engage in physical fitness activities, including young and old alike, particularly where these people are health conscious or desire to improve a physical health or condition. Some physical fitness activities include exercises to shape, tone, and/or strengthen specific groups of muscles. One particular muscle group of interest is the abdominal muscle group. Many devices and exercises have been devised to assist individuals in exercising the abdominal muscles.
Abdominal muscles can be a difficult muscle group to exercise. For example, some devices or exercises can lead to strain of back muscles or other muscles. “Sit-ups” are a popular exercise involving the muscles in the stomach and abdominal areas of the body. Many devices have been formed that aid a user in performing sit-ups in a correct form while also allowing the user to isolate certain areas and muscles in the target area. However, even with assistive devices, sit-ups can have low appeal. Furthermore, such devices are often expensive or bulky and thus undesirable to purchase or store in a home.
Even with improvements in exercises and exercise devices, as well as increased recognition of potential benefits of abdominal exercises, there yet exist various drawbacks and shortcomings. For example, bodily positions used in some exercises or with some exercise devices can be difficult to maintain even during a short duration, let alone throughout an entire exercise cycle. Maintaining a proper form can be important in achieving desired results and avoiding injury. Risk of injury is another common drawback of some exercises and devices. For example, there exists in some exercises and devices a risk that stress that could be placed on particular parts of an individual's body. If an exercise is not properly performed in a smooth curling, or rolling, action, for example, potentially harmful strain may be placed on the individual's spine, neck, or other areas.